We are writing to formally request a Special Meeting with the
Pittsburgh Historic Review Commission, as allowed for in HRCʼs Rules and
Procedures, at its earliest convenience so that we may discuss with the
Commission our substantial objections to Collier Developmentʼs proposed
plans for redevelopment of the historic Iron City Brewery.

We
are strongly concerned with Collierʼs stated intent to demolish many of
the propertyʼs historic component buildings, and fear that the
demolitions will occur in the immediate future. We object to HRCʼs
declining to meet with community representatives to discuss our concerns
about the brewery, in violation of city law (see below), even as HRC
staff has met privately with Collier. We object to HRC and the Bureau of
Building Inspectionʼs failure to protect the brewery property from, and
hold its owners accountable for, several unlawful alterations that have
occurred since the property was nominated for historic protection in
2009. We want to assist the city in protecting the Iron City Brewery
before it is too late to save the property, which is highly significant
in the history of Lawrenceville and Polish Hill, Pittsburgh, and Western
Pennsylvania.

Collierʼs intent to demolish: Collier purchased
the former Iron City Brewery in early 2012, aware that the property had
been designated a Pittsburgh historic landmark to protect its buildings
and structures. Collier quickly applied for exceptions to city law in
order to be allowed to demolish three large and significant buildings on
the property. Collier withdrew the application, but has since
reiterated intent to demolish those and other significant brewery
components in “alternatives” derived from what has been billed as a
master planning process with community involvement. We must note that
the first two public master planning meetings featured strong community
support for historic preservation at Iron City, and Collierʼs subsequent
claims that community members expressed support for widespread
demolition and inappropriate redevelopment are false and astonishing.
The representation of the two public meetings as supporting the
destruction of this historic landmark indicates that Collierʼs
participation in the master planning process has been only a cynical
attempt to build a legal case for demolition under City Code
§1101.02(g). We are particularly concerned because HRC has declined to
discuss the brewery situation with community members when requested.

HRC declined to meet with community: On October 19, 2012, Carol
Peterson, co- chair of the Lawrenceville Stakeholders historic
preservation committee, emailed HRC staff Sarah Quinn to formally
request that the committee be placed on the agenda to discuss Iron City
with HRC at HRCʼs November 7 meeting:

"Members of Lawrenceville
Stakeholders and others around the community and the city continue to
feel deep concern about the stewardship and fate of the historically
significant component buildings in the brewery complex. In addition to
the recent illegal demolitions of which you and the Commission are
aware, the brewery's owners and/or their architects have stated publicly
that they do not regard many of the component buildings as worth
preserving, have presented plans depicting extensive demolition in all
three alternatives developed in the master planning process (master plan
originally suggested by HRC), and stated publicly that the Historic
Review Commission will give permission for unsympathetic alterations at
the property if asked. The owners are overtly hostile to historic
preservation, and we fear that this locally and regionally significant
historic resource will soon be irreparably damaged."

Ms. Quinn
placed Ms. Peterson (not the committee) on the agenda, but on October 24
told Ms. Peterson that the HRC had instructed her to remove her from
the agenda because she “wonʼt be commenting on a particular hearing
item.” The removal from the agenda violated HRC Rules and Procedures:

"All applicants and those requesting to address the Commission on
business other than design review shall have the right to be heard at
the next regularly scheduled meeting of the Commission, provided that
the application has been filed by the deadline for that meeting."

This followed Ms. Quinnʼs stating on August 3, 2012 that she would not
discuss recent illegal demolitions at Iron City with the Stakeholders
historic preservation committee “because itʼs in litigation.” The
refusal violated §1101.07(b)(9), stating that HRC is to:

"Act
as liaison on behalf of the City with preservation organizations,
professional societies, community and other groups, private property
owners, and interested citizens, concerning conservation of the historic
resources of the city."

While refusing community requests to
meet, HRC staff has met privately with Collier. At the November 19 Iron
City Master Planning Steering Committee meeting, Collier representatives
stated that they and their architects had met with Ms. Quinn and
another City Planning employee to present one of the demolition-heavy
“alternatives” from the master planning meetings as the scheme favored
by the community. Such a presentation strongly misrepresented community
input. They said Ms. Quinn and the other employee expressed enthusiasm
for the redevelopment scheme.

HRC and BBI have failed to
protect the brewery: Since its historic nomination in 2009, the Iron
City complex has been subjected to incremental unsympathetic alterations
that violated city permitting procedures. HRC and BBI have not enforced
city laws that are intended to prevent unsympathetic alterations. The
most egregious example is Collierʼs removal of the top 20 feet of the
iconic brewery smokestack with ornamental diaperwork. At the September
5, 2012 HRC meeting, Collierʼs project manager asked permission to take
down 20 feet of the smokestack; HRC granted a Certificate of
Appropriateness to repair instead of demolish. On November 14-15,
Collier workers took down the top 20 feet of the stack. The city has
declined to cite Collier for the demolition, saying Collier will rebuild
the stack in kind as required by §1101.02(g), which requires that that
work be performed in accordance with Secretary of the Interior Standards
for Rehabilitation. But Collier cannot do that because its workers
destroyed the specially made (oversized, pie slice-shaped, and tapered)
bricks. Collierʼs project manager has said that Collier will rebuild the
stack with bricks they have acquired of “similar” color. We note that
such work would not adhere to the Secretary of the Interior Standards,
and strongly doubt the project managerʼs later claim that Collier had
done adequate documentation for reconstruction. Collier knew of the
requirement to adhere to those standards when it purchased the property.
We ask HRC to revoke the Certificate of Appropriateness for this work,
and ask BBI to revoke any building permits issued to allow this work and
put a Stop Work order on the property, immediately upon receipt of this
letter.

Other examples include:

--BBIʼs March 2012
issuance of a demolition permit for the Pipe Shop on Sassafras Street.
HRC had granted a Certificate of Appropriateness to former owner Tim
Hickman in February 2011. The COA had expired before the demolition
permit was granted, and the granting of the demolition permit was
therefore unlawful.

--On July 30, 2012, community members
discovered the illegal demolition of two brewery buildings adjoining the
former Pipe Shop site. We understand that BBI and HRC staff were
already aware of the illegal demolition, but did not cite Collier for it
until community outcry following the July 30 discovery.

--More
than 200 tons of demolition rubble rests against brewery buildings that
Collier wishes to demolish. Community residents have witnessed Collier
adding to the pile, and fear that the weight will destabilize the
buildings. Why have BBI and HRC allowed this?

--When the Cityʼs
protection of the brewery began, a network of elevated steam pipes ran
between buildings. Many or all of the steam pipes, which were visible
from public rights-of-way and contributed to the breweryʼs historic
significance, have been removed. We do not know whether that occurred
during Collier ownership or previous ownership, but hope to determine
this.

--A one-story brick addition to the Boiler House has been
demolished. We do not know whether that occurred during Collier or
previous ownership, but hope to determine this.

--In the
September 5 HRC meeting, Collier Development acknowledged having
performed additional un-permitted work, consisting of having removed
sidewalk light fixtures along Liberty Avenue. Collier has not been cited
for this illegal alteration.

Summary: The Iron City Brewery is
immediately threatened by the plans and actions of its owners, and
community residents and city officials and departments must work
together immediately to prevent its destruction. The brewery is an
enormously significant part of our communitiesʼ, cityʼs, and regionʼs
past, and will be just as vital to our future with our proper
stewardship.

Therefore,

(1) We respectfully request a
Special Meeting with HRC as indicated by HRC Rules and Procedures as
soon as possible- no later than December 13- so that we may communicate
our concerns about process and plans.

(2) We ask HRC to revoke
the Certificate of Appropriateness for work on the smokestack, and ask
BBI to revoke any building permits issued to allow this work and put a
Stop Work order on the property, immediately upon receipt of this
letter.

(3) We would like to be present at all discussions between the City and Collier Development.

(4) All HRC decisions pertaining to Iron City should fully uphold the
letter and spirit of the Pittsburgh Historic Preservation Code-
including but not limited to ensuring that demolition and other
unsympathetic alterations are permitted only when it is certain that no
feasible alternative exists.

...Eyes on Pittsburgh
Formerly the Pittsburgh Art Blog, Eyes on Pittsburgh focuses on
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